Chairman's Report 2009

 Parish

 Council

Highwood  

Chairman’s report for the Annual Parish meeting 2009______________________________ 

I am pleased to present this report on the activities of Highwood Parish Council during the year ending 31st March. 

The parish council has continued in its present form since my last report in April 2008 with no changes in councillors; and Alyce Harvey continues in her role as Parish Clerk. The council has met in the school hall on the second Tuesday of every other month. At each meeting, planning applications are considered to which the PC offers its opinion.  In addition, the following (in alphabetical order) subjects have been discussed:- 

·       Accounts

The latest figures were not to hand at the time of writing. 

·       ‘Bunnies’ pre-school Group & Highwood School

Highwood PC continues to fund the insurance requirements of the ‘Bunnies’ pre-school group; this parent/toddler group meets at Highwood school twice a week and has been very successful in reversing the falling roles at Highwood school – whose future now looks secure and successful. Indeed, from September 2009 the school will expand to four classes from the present three but we are sorry that the head teacher Mrs Louise Hourihan is leaving at the end of the summer term and come September, we will have a new head. Thanks must go to Janet Young for her hard work with this group.  

·       Bus Stops

Highwood PC is pleased to note the reinstatement of the bus stops on the A414 at Radley Green.  A request to reposition the stop opposite Ingatestone Road in Blackmore Road is apparently the subject of long gestating studies and reports etc and we are sad that nothing more positive has yet been done to address concerns.


·       Children’s Playground, Edney Common

Maintenance has continued to ensure that the play equipment is safe for children to use. A gate with latch now should make it more difficult for children to slip unnoticed out into the road. 

·       Christmas Tree

The PC supplied a Christmas tree and lights which were erected in the grounds of the village hall. 

·       Council Tax

The parish council approved the word of an explanation of the apparent excessive rise in the parish element of council tax bills; this rise is due to a reduction in funding from Chelmsford BC. 

 ·       Cycle (trials) amenity

The parish council was treated to a presentation on ‘bicycle trials’ by Michael Mitchell of Barrow Farm. It is pleasing to note that planning permission has been received from Chelmsford BC - and we can look forward to a healthy outdoor amenity for the young people of the parish. 

·       Essex Police Beat Surgery etc

This has not been held due to a lack of demand; sadly, the borough council’s surgery which used to precede parish council meetings has also been discontinued following a dramatic fall-off in attendances.We continue to invite the constabulary to attend parish council meetings which they attend when duties permit. 

·       Essex Sports Partnership

There will be extensive building works in the school this summer so this, coupled with previous poor attendances, means that there will be no Sports Partnership held in Highwood in 2009. 

·       Footpaths

David Taylor continues to perform an admirable job as our footpaths officer. Instances of damage to stiles and bollards (believed caused by 4x4 type vehicle, poachers etc) have been swiftly dealt with.  

·       Graeme Blaik bench

The PC funded a memorial bench to Graeme Blaik as a mark of his many years service to Highwood. It is now installed outsider the church. The PC is particularly grateful to Martin Goddard for his hard work in constructing its base and securing it.
 

Highways 

·        The vehicle activated speed sign in Loves Green continues to function (at least when the sun is shining!) and perhaps explains the lack of response to Essex Police’s Speedwatch campaign?

·        A leaflet detailing Speedwatch was circulated with an issue of the parish magazine. This generated just one positive reaction and so this scheme will not be operating in Highwood. It was a surprising response, given what was thought to be a great concern among residents about speeding vehicles.

·        The council is delighted that there is now a footway (pavement) along the south side of Highwood Road in Loves Green. This enables school children to walk to the church without having to cross the road twice on each journey.

·        Resurfacing of Highwood Road in Edney Common has been done on the eastbound carriageway only which has removed the worst of the bumps and potholes; the westbound side of the road remains to be similarly treated.

·        A period of prolonged heavy rain brought the poor state of many of parish’s drains and ditches into sharp focus. It appears that it is the responsibility of Highways to enforce their being kept clear (at least when the flood waters encroach on the road) and they have been informed of two cases where blockages have caused water to run over the road / footway. 

·       Litter Pick

Highwood PC supported the parish litter pick which was this time held on 15th February. Holding these events outside the growing season means that litter is much easier to spot; not being covered by nettle or dock etc and a reasonable amount was collected. There will be another in the autumn which will be held on 13th September.  

·       Parish Magazine

The Parish Magazine has continued to appear a monthly basis and the parish council is very grateful to Anne Gooch for regularly producing a high quality publication worthy of Highwood.   

·       Remembrance Day

The PC again supplied a wreath which was laid at the Highwood memorial. 

 ·       Thank you

I would like to extend a thank you on behalf of the Parish Council to both our Borough Councillor Nicolette Chambers and to our County Councillor John Aldridge for their unstinting support and assistance throughout the year; also to Alyce Harvey, the parish clerk for her quiet efficiency.


·       Trees/Forestry

The attention of the PC has again been drawn to various dead trees in an area of woodland adjacent to Highwood Road, Loves Green with the fear expressed that should they fall in a storm, encroachment of the highway and/or damage to overhead power lines might result - as well as a possibility of death or injury to anyone caught beneath one!  When this concern was raised last time, several residents received letters about trees in their gardens – while the dead trees remain untouched. The Highways dept has been contacted again. 

·       Village Hall

Cllr Pipkin and his daughter Petra continue to work tirelessly towards getting a new village hall for the parish. There has been a mix of good and bad news as far as funding goes but their resolve is unstinting. We now have an electricity supply which was put to good use this Christmas. The land behind the village hall has been discussed but the PC is not in a financial position at present to pursue a purchase or a lease from CBC.Students from Writtle College have visited the site and are using it as part of their course studies.           

David Cameron